mellom

Mellom is a preposition in Norwegian that indicates position, relation, or interval between two or more elements. In Bokmål and Nynorsk it corresponds to the English words between or among and is used for spatial, temporal, and relational meanings. It can introduce phrases with two items, as in mellom Oslo og Trondheim (between Oslo and Trondheim), or with ranges of time, as in mellom klokken 9 og 11 (between 9 and 11 o’clock). It also appears in expressions involving choice or contrast, for example mellom deg og meg (between you and me). Numbers and ranges can be expressed as mellom 2 og 5 or mellom to og fem.

A notable feature in Norwegian grammar is that the following noun can take definite form depending on article usage; for example mellom huset og treet uses definite nouns. If the nouns are indefinite, you would typically use the indefinite forms, as in mellom et hus og et tre. The preposition also forms common compounds such as mell omspill, meaning an interlude, or mell omrom, meaning the space between letters, illustrating its role in creating related terms.

Etymology and cognates: Mellom derives from Old Norse mellom and has cognates in Danish mellom and Swedish mellan. It is part of the Germanic language family and has been a standard preposition in Norwegian for centuries, with similar usage across dialects. Related formations include compounds that express intermediary concepts or spaces, reflecting the core sense of connection or separation between elements.

See also: mellomrom, mellomspill, mellomnavn (middle name).